INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON TUNNELING, FEEDING RATES, AND OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS OF THE WESTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE, RETICULITERMES-HESPERUS (ISOPTERA, RHINOTERMITIDAE)

At 15.6-degrees-C the distance tunneled by acclimated termites was greater than those tunneled by unacclimated termites.Tunneling rates at 15.6-degrees-C(0.1 cm/h) were significantly less than at 21.1,26.7, or 32.2-degrees-C. Feeding by Reticulitermes hesperus Banks was optimized at 21.1-degrees-C. At high temperatures (26.7-32.2-degrees-C), the total amount of food eaten in 14d was reduced because of high levels of mortality, Also at high temperatures (32.2-degrees-C), it is possible that termites begin to use some fat reserves due to high metabolic rates. Oxygen consumption by R. hesperus workers ranged from 0.39 to 1.98mul per termite as temperature increased from 15.0 to 35.0-degrees-C, respectively.